Monday, 8 October 2012

I posted up an earlier resource today on Christopher Columbus. On the 12th October, 1492; this well known explorer was said to have arrived as an immigrant to "the New World."

I follow an organisation called 'Cultural Survival' and I would like to present their viewpoint on the discovery of the New World. Cultural Survival say that Christopher Columbus did not "discover" America. Indeed, there were native people already living there and the territory belonged to them as it was their homeland.

On Friday 12th October, let's remember and celebrate the People who are native to the America's. The above picture is a memorial tribute to the Indians in Chile. Click on the title link and discover 6 things that you can do to support the causes of these people on Friday. Activities vary from further reading, to making donations or simply spreading the word to your friends and followers so people around the world are better informed of indigenous issues.

Sunday, 7 October 2012

Follow the title link. If you are a beginner/pre-intermediate English learner and following the British Council Elementary Podcasts I suggest for the time being only trying to focus on the consonant part of the chart. If you are a higher level learner or feel confident to do so; you could go on to the single vowel sounds and then the dipthongs (double vowel sounds) last as they are the hardest!Download the phonemic chart and refer to it frequently. It will help you to improve your pronunciation. Check out the exercise 'Using the phonemic chart for autonomous learning'. It will help you a lot!Try the other pronunciation activities, they are all very good and if you have an iPad there is a 'Sounds Right' application available to download for free.

Frida Kahlo

An Introduction

In the British Council Elementary Podcast Series Programme 6, the famous person discussed this week was Frida Kahlo, a famous Mexican Painter. She is truly a fascinating woman and here are some sources of information to help you understand her work and her life.

6 biographical videos and a written biographical page. You may like to write your own biography on her life after you have read, listened to and watched these video's. This could be a small group project where you take a small part of her life story each.

information, facts and the chronology of Frida Kahlo's life. You could assemble the information into a time line using this link - http://www.dipity.com/

a paint gallery with over 70 self portraits to scroll through by Frida. Perhaps you could arrange and edit these pictures into a Favourte 10 Frida Kahlo Painting PowerPoint Presentation, writing a summarising sentence about each painting and what it means to you.

A selection of quotes taken from what Frida said in her lifetime and her diary which she kept for the latter part of her life. These could be made into a pocket book of Frida Kahlo Quotes.

My Favourite Quote

“Nothing is worth more than laughter. It is strength to laugh and to abandon oneself, to be light. Tragedy is the most ridiculous thing.”

In her diary she also wrote:

"Laughing and letting go and feeling lighter give one strength. Tragedy is the most ridiculous thing "man" has, and I am sure that however much animals "suffer", they never exhibit their "pain" in open "theatres" or "behind doors". Their colours are truer than any image that any man may "represent" as painful.”

After her experiences in life, I am truly inspired by this incredible woman and her words. It is a miracle that a person who suffered so much, had this amazing gift of valuing and living her life so fully. Awe inspiring!

The Film - Frida

Frida Kahlo's life was made into film starring Salma Hayak and Alfred Molina, as her husband Diego Rivera (the famous Mexican muralist).

TEFL Vocabulary, Grammar and Communicative Skills.

If you are a beginner (A2 CEFR level) these British Council Podcasts are excellent for getting you started. As the week progresses I will post up other related work which will be appropriate for different levels of student ability. If you are an Intermediate level of student you may want to use this resource to revise and then extend your knowledge. Advanced students may just want to dip into the additional and other resources added during the week.

Friday, 5 October 2012

Click on the title link above and listen to Beatles music clips (Love, Love Me Do; Please, Please Me and she Loves You) with an interview led by Simon Watts in 1962. The four young Beatles (Ringo, George, John and Paul) are interviewed as are George Martin and Brian Ebstein (their manager and stage manager respectively). Their 'natural sense of humour' and 'love for fun' comes through really well in the interview as indeed do some of their 'character flaws'. The interview was conducted in a very different time era where musicians did as their manager and stage manager told them. They dressed in suits as directed by Brian Ebstein instead of the jeans and leather jackets they had originally turned up for audition in. Very informative. Listen, sing along and enjoy!

Milk Allergies in Human Babies

This BBC podcast is concerned with genetically modified food and allergies.Minor to severe allergies are described. For example; hay fever, nut, egg and cows milk allergies in babies. The resource is suitable for advanced TEFL students.

James Gallagher has studied theimmune system, body cells and allergy culprits. The podcast is based on his scientific report.

In baby cow milk allergies, the protein 'beta lacta globulin' has been found to cause RNA interference.

Cows in New Zealand are now injected with a substance to stop them from producing the protein. Their milk is therefore genetically modified but deemed suitable for babies to drink.

What do you think about genetically modifying cow's milk for babies?

Do you think it is a spectacular or unethical practise?

Listen to the debate on this podcast and form your own opinion.If you need an online dictionary please use one of the following links:

David Deubelbeiss

Culture

Find out what young people in the UK think 'culture' is. Follow the title link and listen to young adults/teenagers from London (a multicultural city) express their opinions on multicultural issues, stereotyping and culture in a video. Make yourself up a mind map to summarise the video.

Then, make your own mind map up in English to develop and expand your vocabulary awareness around this topic. Explore what you think 'culture' is.

Talk to your friends and parents and define culture from their viewpoint. Are their definitions the same or different to yours?

Pronunciation Practise

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